Did you know that a Chinese female domestic helper in the early days is known as “majie”? Travel back in time to discover the life of “majies” through a multi-sensory storytelling journey of drama, music and movements!

"Once Upon a Storytime" takes children back in time to the early days of Singapore (between 1930s and 1970s). Audiences will follow the journey of Ah Di, a young girl who left her family and her hometown of Shunde province in China and came to Singapore to work, hoping to seek a better life so that she could support her family. Ah Di found work as a "majie" in the home of a wealthy family. Ah Di works diligently every day from dawn to dusk, but she quickly started to miss her family. She decides to seek help from a letter writer in Chinatown. Through this show, the children will learn about the letter writers, once commonly sighted along the "five-foot ways" in Chinatown, and how they have provided an indispensable service in helping the illiterate Majies to communicate with their families back home.

"Once Upon a Storytime" is an interactive and collaborative storytelling performance between the actor-facilitator and the performance audience. Children are invited to participate in this storytelling journey by applying various techniques such as drama, music and movement, thereby creating an immersive and engaging multi-sensory experience.

This performance is organised in conjunction with Wan Qing Dumpling Festival 2019. For more details on Wan Qing Dumpling Festival programmes, click here.

Please take note of the following:

Conducted in Chinese

Best suited for children 4 to 7 years old

Each ticket admits 1 child (parents may enter without a ticket, but will be required to sit at the back of the room)